Strand handling apparatus



Aug. 14, 1945.

G; C. SPILLMAN STRAND HANDLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 22, 1944 FIG.

INVENTOR G. C. SP/LLMAN ATTOAWEY Aug. 14,1945. 7 I a. c. SPILLMAN 2,382,922

STRAND HANDLING APPARATUS I Fiieci' Feb. 22, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

' lNl/E/V TOR I a. c. SP/LLMAN ATTORNEY- 4 ing'idrawings, wherein tus taken from the left of Fig. 1, porti of the feedin wheel, and

Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITED STATES PATE NT oFFlcs STRAND HANDLING APPARATUS Gordon Spillman, Roselle, N. J., .assignor to -Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New 7 I York, N. Y., a corporation of New York f Application February 22, 1944, Serial No. 523,449

12 Claims. l p

have shaft "23. The drive shaft" zaziextehd's This invention relates to strand handling apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for ianningcable strands or conductors.

During th manufacture of cables for use in the communications arts, certain tests are made thereon; and during these intervals it is necessary to fan out the ends of the strands or conductors so that they may be individually accessible for testing. v An object of the invention is to provide a strand handling apparatus which is simple in structure,

eificient in operation and particularly adaptable for fanning conductor wires of communication cables.

With this and other objects inview, the invening a rotatable feeding member adapted to select a plurality of strands from a group and feed them to an associated element formed to receive the strands singly and advance them laterally in through" the uprights l2 and i I is journalledih bearings therein, and isdrivenbyan'y suitable power means (not shown). A gear is fi xedly mounted upon the drive shaft 23 andinterehgages afgear 26, whichis mounted upon a spindle "21.

The spindlezl extends through an aperture in a table 3| and is journa'lled in suitable bearingsfl and 33, the former being disposed in' an apertureintheupright ll.

A feeding element *is mounted upono'r fixed I to the inner end of thespindle 21 and is driven thereby. The e1ement 35 is provided-with a 'V- tion comprises a strand handling apparatus hav spaced positions relative to a given 1ocation,afte'r""- which the strands are moved arcuately througha given path. I 1

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the-following detaileddescription when considered in conjunction with the accompany- Fig. l is a front elevational view of the "apparatus, portions thereof being broken away;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the apparaof being broken away; l

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus, portions thereof being broken away; v

Fig, 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the feeding wheel, this view being taken substantially along the line.5-.-5 of Fig. 4.

bearing portions I6 to rotatably supporta shaft 11. Collars l8, fixedto the shaft I'l adjacent the bearing "5, serve to eliminateaxial movement of the shaft. A gear I9 is fixedlymounted upon one end of the shaft 1'! and interengages an intermediate gear 20, the latter being rotatably supported by a spindle 21 carried by the upright I2. A pinion 22 interengages the intermediate gear 20 and is. fixedly mounted upona 115 thereshaped spiral groove adapted to receive strands or electrical conductorsof a cable singly and advance them laterally in a'given order. As mustrated' in Fig. 1, the convolutions of thespiraI groove 36in the element 35 are closely positioned for about one third the length ofthe element and then open in increasingly wider spiralonvoluti'ons; as indicated at 38, to space the l strands 1 and to advance them laterally at "a iaster' rate 'of' speed 'tolocate them sing'ly adjaclehtthe end of the element to be received by transporting tours; asillustrated in Fig. 1, with radialprojections or fingers 42 providingstrand receiVing:portions or pockets 43 in which the strands, identified byreierence numeral, fiiay be received from the element 35. The elements "40 tare mounted at; spaced positions "upon a shaft 'i45 whichis rotatably supported by a bracket fixedtothe table 3|. Thebracket lii has a yokelik'e portion 41 rotatably supporting lthelshait 45 and having "a locating "collar 48 disposed between f the legs ther'eofand fixed to the shaft' t'o serve in locatingthe elements 40 atequally spaced-positions upon each side of the elementffifl' h beveled gearillmounted upon the shaft 45'interengages a beveled gear 5! which isfixedly mounted upon the drive shaft 23,completing the driving means for the elements 40 so thatthey will be driven in synchronism with the element35) I tion of the group of strandsfrom the cable-onto In the present instance the strands 44 areelectrical conductors from acable 54, which maybe supported by any suitable means (notsho wn') The free ends of strands extend acro-ss'lthe'top of the table 3|,which has an: arcuaterdepression '55 the-reiriadapted to conform to the periphery 50 of a feeding wheel 56. A guide member 51;"fiX6d as at 52 to the upright l I, i's'df thebohtoririllixstrated in Figs. 1 and 3, providing- 'aportion spaced fromthe table 3| to facilitate in the locathe table. A downwardly. projecting or angular portion 58 of the member 51 serves to direct the strands downwardly into the depression or recess 55 of the table, while a forward portion 59 of the member serves to hold the strands in the depression of the table for their movement in 5 substantially a single layer toward the feeding wheel e.v 1, ,fl

' The r elii e wheel 55 is nxegiii'fiduht'e ypoh the shaft 11 and rbt'ated thereby. Peripheral flanges 50 and SI of the wheel 55 extend contin: uously about the wheel, except as illustrated in Flgs. 1, 4 and 5, where the flange fig tergninates at 53, providing an inlet 6 4, and the flange [5| terminates at 65,- providinjgah odtlet lifi. he other end of the flange 6| a'rfiaoe'rrt' th'e ldlktllet 551% extends transversely across the wh eel, as at lil,

to an edge 69, serving to seIeotEpIBdeteI'mined 1 number of the strands from the table at the inle t M and cause movement of the selected 'sdah s leterallythmneh theou letifi t e elem e through: th .ia d o the ees e Whe lie e ajselee dm m er ote rende. straheie t d @93 the tab 1 tdthez emeht fle te flange h uringtheadd ti ne parhot therem nt o h th W 1LFVi -9 ma nta n t e ele t q s rand in. a position jaeenhth .epiral-lero ye 3, 5- .h

s lected oup or,stra dsewilleb i ile 112311 th beginn n end.,om e e emen, :aeieeentlt which is a reciprocable press e ele ne rit J0. Elle elemen i'l lJscearr ed .'by a.jebri ie;.pr 30 membe l1hsunnortedpgthej w r e em rod 12 and. rmal rute ow werdlx b .as epr ne 3'3 v I Jh me ber... h s; a teneuezee tienrfl re eiya leine oove 1 oti'ausu rtl e x se and mounted at 93 upon the bracket 16, maintains the strands 44 in the pockets 43 during transporting of the strands through a given arcuate path. Another guide 94, of the contour shown in Fig. 1, is mounted beneath a projecting end 95 of the table 3|, as at 96, and has a curved portion Sl extending between the shaft 45 and the guide 92%) meet the' "strahds l' l moved arcuately by the elements 40 to remove the strands from the pockets 43 of the elements and cause them to assemble beneath the guide 94 and the projecting end 95 of the table. It will be noted that the angular relationship of the fingers 42 the, adjacent portion of the guide 94 is gratr'tl'ia'r' aright angle, thus eliminating any iittihnm o'f severing the strands.

, Considering now the operation of the apparatus, let it be assumed that the conductor wires ofac'abie are disposed upon the table 3| beneath th -hieheer ien 9 h dem pher '2 heg oi t eeehduet e. er si e d 'fi ne their lengths refihthe nd ebf ree ef ifi insul i n setb ze flee xefli tee 5 m th n oneeth v hbee el Y e eiatheh aets 43 r l th eleme t eeel er a man er d t ward. elvhee 156, 5399 57 @35 11 1 1 5. er the eie hwh eh h l te e h rewductors or wires downwardly into the depressi'o' n a r the ebl a h; 9% !15i i t gea ed fiber-pe phe a entqur;.. ithe..w.l e ie, e b readi y r eivee i r r u hereby Dr' eeee h rev lu enhi h Whee .ig.9} the .SP P'Q will be received thereby through the inlet portion d v in th eu ..f i m.l lemeie 'eiflirs 15 Torvertical movement or the member; II and 35 by the edge, 69. I The diagonal portion Bf of the lts.,e 1emeat. 1.0 inn i nv ne h- ..,el heueh h element. 1,9 is. nor a y ureedad wp erd v M ur euthe selec dero ner et te e-n ethe e ixo t ene o the spiral. .ereererfi hofrt eweil men flan filwiflt eewhee rillia Yerj l eeleejteld grouppf ireslateralI from the table 3! to a e i i n e hee emeet ih The pain (9 lS 1'n QLl Ilted for, rotation uporr the .5,,me ns s.n 9 1 o ntermitte tly m e-th ,seriie e etfi .(J e the Whe 15 fi h h element pw yand rel a m ritl e tha th ou h a 9 h s r .=l.?r,;hem rr ik blows; may e pp ed. t t e stra dsit tee ur the r m vemen fmtorthe a i e tmveMtw ,1 ohm: pira r o es .354 .iI'hls. m a s; I, d ;l e m.; 8 which -.is fixed meu te mn mhetsh Ill and has i hro tticnsfi', We l. R el and 2 1. It will bejnoted-by viewing Fig. 2, that the portion ;',l9 of,,,the cam is higher and wider than the portions po.,and, il, the, purpose loeing to so inoveuthe element lll by the h i gh portion F9 from the. e eme tal: *fort e'r eeht n ca eter- Ieeted t ds Ihe1 iehhne ien pt;the ca edly mountedupqn t e. 1 411 irhle red; .2 h ummr ed roryertical m'eyemen l n hrae se 8 andhaithe formerhe oe mounted ope thexadiacentjbearmg portion I 6 o; the bracket fi while h -le rs. mhuhted upon the. br el e flfi.-h..

.. The bra kemeha an pnee e .slet 1. .1.) .Ireii we to'receive mouhtin f revs. 33. thr aee lx rrie by the la era membererhb aeket .4 e adjustably mounting the braglgehliwlatiw to t e m mb r sh afiflmennted .u e t lowerend of the bracket 16, is-ppsitioned to rest 05 upon the element '35 or be positioned closely ad- :lz'afcent thereto to limit thejelement to receive thestrands singly in eachconvolutionpf the spiral groove .36, and to maintain the strands:

therein during their advancement toward the d1 rotary elements 40 h por ion e p h ameee i er 'e a is and move the element 10 upwardly men theileme i fiiee h t. the e eete l een -i'f r herd eee ed hel weee th W eel 6. 9 t e Fel enh ene er th rhee ere: the h i 'e I9 of the cam 18 moves fr e fof 'tl'ie a'rrr '1 '8'3, the elem n .1". ere d. l i'v f 'd f T the wires siirigly in the lconvolution's of the spiral ree e. 5 The .hemhe ehe leloi' e @f we e me lt Ill ar e e eete th h h l efi m' of the high portidns to and Bltv ith'th a,'1"r'r1 3,"so as to assure feeding of the sleicjtd grou er wires into the convolutioris of, the :"s'p r'a'l 'groo've prior to the ti n e t e jr'ie tjgre-a or wires is to he received from the Wheel 56. 1 I, W ,'he eheefl lee u ee i l i f J ll, the jeee e k fii the "e ,e' e3 di in the ad'vancement'of the wires laterally LGQt lIlCliefajS- ingly spaged positions relative 'toieach other until they are received in the p kets 43 pf the rotary e ie 't'eio; nt i' f r ent fl ie he e .90 is substantially 'fe'stinguponthe' lenient as.

justment has been completed, the screws 88 may betightened to hold the bracket 16 with the shoe '90 in the adjusted position. During this adjustment-the guide 92 will be moved upwardly.

Adjustment of the guide may also be made through 'the provision of an elongate slot at its mounting screw 93, to locate the guide at the desired position to maintain the wires in the pockets 43 of the elements 40. After the wires are receivedin the pockets '43 of-the elements 40, they are moved in definite spaced positions through*anarcuat e path and freed beneath means, namely the guide 94 and'the' table 3|,

including the projecting end 95 thereof, to hold moved to the element 35, where these groups are divided into individually spaced strands moving laterally at closely disposed positions, which positions are increasingly widened in approaching the end of the element 35, Where they are received in the pockets 43 of the elements 40, the spacing of the wires being further increased to given spaced relative positions in which they are held as they are moved in arcuate paths by the elements 40 and disposed in a retaining means separating them from the remaining wires yet to be traversed. l

vAlthough specific improvements of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that they are but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l

1. A strand handling apparatus comprising a support for a plurality of strands, an actuable element formed to receive the strands singly, transport them laterally and simultaneously vary their distances from each other, means to actuate the, element, and means to feed the strands to the element.

2. A strand handling apparatus comprising a support-for a plurality of strands, a rotatable element having a spiral groove therein for transporting the strands laterally from an entrance end of the element to an exit end thereof, the convolutions of the groove opening to increasingly wider spacings as they approach the said exit end, means to feed the strands to the element, and a movable member having a projection movable between the strands adjacent the said exit end to successively remove the strands therefrom.

3. A strand handling apparatus comprising a support for a plurality of strands, a rotatable element having a spiral groove therein for transporting the strands laterally from an entrance end of the element to an exit end thereof, the convolutions of the groove opening to increasingly wider spacings as they approach the said exit end, means to feed the strands to the element, and means to substantially close the convolutions 'at the strands to maintain the strands in the convolutions of the groove.

4. A strand handling, apparatus comprising a support for a plurality of strands, a rotatable element having a spiral groove therein for transporting the strands laterally from an entrance end of the element toan'exitend'thereof, the

convolutions of the groove opening to increasingly wider spacings as they approachthe said exit endjmeans to feed the strands to the" element, a shoe disposed adja'cent the element to maintain thestrands in the convolutions of the groove, and means to urgethe strands into the convolutions. W l l l l l 5. A strand handling apparatus comprising a stationary table forsupporting a plurality of strands; a feeding wheel rotatable relative to the table to remove selected groups of the strands from the table, and meansadapted toreceive the strands from the feeding wheel and singly move the strands laterally at spaced positions.

6. A'strand handling apparatus comprising a table for supporting a plurality of strands, a spirally grooved rotatable element adapted to receive the strands from the table and move them laterally in given spaced positions, and a feeding wheel rotatable relative to the table and adapted to transport selected groupsof the strands from the table to the element.

'7. A strand handling apparatus comprising a table for supporting a plurality of strands, a spirally grooved rotatable element adapted to receive the strands from the table and move them laterally in given spaced positions, a feeding wheel rotatable'relative to the table and adapted to transport selected groups of the strands from the table to the element, and a reciprocable member actuable to force the strands into the convolutions of the spiral groove of the element.

8. A strand handling apparatus comprising a table for supporting a plurality of strands, a spirally grooved rotatable element adapted to receive the strands from the table and move them laterally in given spaced positions, a feeding wheel rotatable relative to the table and adapted to transport selected groups of the strands from the table to the element, a reciprocable member actuable to force the strands into the convolutions of the spiral groove of the element, and means to actuate the member.

9. A strand handling apparatus comprising a table for supporting a plurality of strands, a spirally grooved,rotatable element adapted to receive the strand from the table and move them laterally in given spaced positions, a feeding wheel rotatable relative to the table and adapted to transport selected groups of the strand from the table to the element, a reciprocable member actuable to force the strands into the convolutherefrom, and means adapted to receive the strands from the feeding wheel and move the strands laterally at spaced positions.

11. A strand handling apparatus comprising a table, for supporting a plurality of strands, having an arcuate recess therein, a feeding wheel rotatable relative to the table and having its periphery movable in the said recess and formed to remove selected groups of the strands laterally therefrom, means adapted to receive the'strands from the feeding wheel and move the strandslaterally at spaced positions; and means to direct the strands into the recess.

12. An apparatus for fanning strands of a cable comprising a table for supporting the strands of acable, a feeding element actuable to remove groups of the strands from the table, a spirally grooved element actuable to receive the strands from the feeding element and move them 10 laterally at given spaced positions, and a, transporting element actuable to receive the strands singly from the grooved element and move them in spaced position through an arcuatepath.

13. An apparatusfor fanning strands of a cable Y comprising a table for supporting; the strands of a cable, a feeding element actuable to'remove groups of the strands from the table,- a spirally 3 grooved element actuable to receive the strands from the feeding element and move them laterally at given spaced positions, a transporting element actuable to receive the strands singly from the grooved element and move them in spaced positions through an arcuatepath a driving means, and separate means operatively connecting the elements to the driving means tocause actuation of the elements in synchronism witheach other.

- GORDON C. SPILLMAN. 

